Improvement in piano-stringing devices



A. G. GARDNER.

- Piano-Stringing Device.

Patented June 29,1875.

THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTO-LITH.39&4T PARK PLACE,N.Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALPHONS G. GARDNER, OF NEWV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PlANO-STRlNGlNG DEVICES.

Specifimtion forming part of Letters Patent No. 164,988, dated June 29,1875 5 application filed September 30, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

3e it known that I, ALPI-IONS G. GARDNER, a resident ofthe city ofNewOrleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Pianos; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and correct description of the same, reference being had tothe annexed drawing, making a part of this specification.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement, inpianofortes, of an improved agratfe, and of a bridge prov ided with asingle or double raised flange, over which the strings of the instrumentare stretched. The said flanges are constructed of tempered steel, inorder that the vibrations of notes may be much more clear and distinct.

The object of my invention is to secure a rich, pure, and powerful toneto piano-fortes and other like instruments to which my improvements maybe applied.

The invention will be readily understood by referring to the drawing,whereon the same is clearly illustrated.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a portion of the interiorof apiano-forte, showing a cross-section of my improved agraffe and bridge,and the manner in which the strings are arranged in relation to thesame. Fig. 2 is a single cooperative steel-edged bridge; suitable forgrand pianos. Fig. 3 is a mod iiication of the above, and is designed tobe applied to upright pianos. Fig. at is a perspective view of themiddle a-graife, showing the screws by which it is held to the bridge ofthe sounding-board.

My improved sounding-board-bridge agraffe is made of brass, and isconstructed in two parts, as shownat A B. Upon the edges or sides of thelower portion B raised flanges 1 and 2 are formed, for supporting thestrings of the instrument, while the upper portion A is constructed witha.V-shaped edge upon its lower side, the said edge resting upon thestrings, which, by means of the screws I) b, are pressed downwardbetween the raised flanges l 2. l is a double flanged wrest-plankbridge, of steel, over which the strings are tightly drawn and securelyheld by the tuning-pin c. The raised steel flanges dand a may be castupon the bridge, and afterward polished and tempered or a cheaper mannerof constructing the same would be to lay pianowire, No. 22, upon theiron frame, which in this case should have a raised flat surface ofsufficient width to hold the said wire in proper position when thetension of the strings is upon it.

A piano-forte constructed with a bridge as above described will producea twelfth or fifteenth harmonic above the principal tone as acooperative tone.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

As an improvement in stringing devices for piano-fortes the wrest-plankbridge 0 of steel, and having the flanges d c, in combination with thesounding-board-bridge agraflfe A B, the latter plate B ot'which isprovided with the flanges l 2, when all said parts are constructed andarranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ALPHONS G. GARDNER.

Witnesses H. N. JENKINS, J. O. HUBBELL.

